What in the world is an acute toxicity? What is a chronic toxicity? This lesson defines both and helps you understand the differences between the two.

What Is a Toxin?

We use the word 'toxin' quite a bit. Smoking can be toxic. Water can be toxic. Relationships can be toxic. But a toxin in biology is a poisonous, usually protein-based substance, produced by a living organism. More broadly, the word toxin nowadays also applies to non-biological substances as well, such as drugs or pollutants. Toxins can cause acute or chronic toxicity. What's the difference? Let's find out!

Acute Toxicity

Acute toxicity has a combination of the following characteristics:

The toxicity is sudden in its onset. One moment it wasn't there, then it is. It progresses from almost nothing to a serious problem quite quickly, often within a day.

Problems caused by the toxin rapidly change. Things go from bad to worse quite quickly, and new problems seems to arise out of nowhere.

The toxicity is severe in nature. This could mean it's painful, yes, but 'severe' also refers to how much damage it's wreaking upon the body in general.

The toxicity is relatively short in it duration. It doesn't last for months and months.

The toxicity is commonly caused by a single large amount of the toxin or a single small, but very potent (powerful), dose.

Note that an acute toxicity can turn chronic, and what is an acute toxicity to one may not be to another. For example, someone who is perfectly healthy might be able to handle a higher dose of a toxin with relative ease compared to someone with serious kidney or liver disease. In the latter case, even a small dose can lead to an acute toxicity.

Chronic Toxicity

Okay, so what's a chronic toxicity? Well, it's pretty much the opposite of an acute one. A chronic toxicity has a combination of the following characteristics:

The toxicity is gradual in its initial onset. In other words, it sneaks up on the person. After that, though, toxicity progresses relatively slowly.

The problems caused by the toxin typically change quite slowly.

The toxicity isn't as severe in nature. It can be very damaging, no doubt, but it won't cause numerous massive problems all at once, just a bit at a time.

The toxicity is persistent or recurrent. Meaning, it occurs over a long period of time (months) in a continuous fashion or in spurts.

The toxicity is caused by numerous small, less than lethal, repeated doses of the toxin.

Just as with an acute toxicity, a chronic toxicity has its caveats. For example, a person with a chronic toxicity can decompensate, and an acute problem will be the result. In other words, after a very long time of being poisoned, the body will reach a breaking point and give up, leading to an acute condition that might make it seem like they are the victim of an acute toxicity when they're really not.

Lesson Summary

A toxin is a substance, usually protein-based and produced by living organisms, that can cause disease. The term is also used to refer to non-biological substances as well, like drugs. An acute toxicity is one that has a combination of the following characteristics:

It's sudden in its onset.

It causes rapidly changing problems.

The problems caused are severe.

The problems are of relatively short duration.

It's caused by a usually single, large, or potent exposure to the toxin.

In contract, a chronic toxicity has a combination of the following characteristics:

It's gradual in its onset and progression.

The problems caused by the toxicity usually change slowly.

The toxicity, at least until the end stages, is not severe in nature.

The toxicity is persistent or recurrent.

The toxicity is caused by numerous small, less than lethal, and repeated doses of the toxin.

Medical Disclaimer: The information on this site is for your information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

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